Sunday, 22 February 2015

Jo's Top 5 Polishes for Spring 2015

All the new Spring/Summer polishes releases seem to have come out during February which is uber exciting! This, plus the fact that we are creeping towards March and the snowdrops and daffodils have started coming out, has inspired me to pick my top five polishes for this Spring. The selection is based on colours expected to feature heavily this season - information collected from Pinterest 'research' (yes I used it as a legitimate reason to browse Pinterest for hours!) I've picked out favourites from my whole collection, not just from new releases, so you may already have a couple!

This Spring seems to be all about muted 'dusty' shades and my top five definitely reflects that. I've swatched them all for you and added a bit more detail on each, so read on to find out why they made the cut!

In no particular order (just because I can't choose between them) my top five choices are; Barry M - Lap Of Honour*, Elderberry* and Ballerina*, Sally Hansen - Jaded* and Models Own Chrome Rose*. We were lucky enough to be gifted all these polishes but I assure you this has no bearing on my decision to choose them.

Barry M - Lap Of Honour

Purple features heavily across Pinterest when you search for 'SS15 Colours' and Barry M clearly agree as they released two this month. Along with Lap Of Honour they brought us a new purple Gelly called Fondant* which we swatched for you here. I chose Lap Of Honour* as it's just a touch darker and has a slightly more grey tone which is going to be prominent this season. We love pastels but they can be a bit cutesy, this grey undertone we're seeing more now is something we're fully on board with! This polish is quick dry and has Barry M's new flat brush so it's really easy to apply and the formula is up to usual Barry M standards. This swatch is 2 coats with top coat.

Models Own - Chrome Rose

This is the only non-pastel in the group and I surprised myself by choosing a chrome as I don't usually go for this sort of finish. However, I can't get enough of rose gold at the moment and this polish is just stunning. I first swatched this for you here, but admitted that I did not have an easy time with application. It was a bit of a rookie error as I didn't read other bloggers tips before attempting to swatch and regretted it! I've since read Brit Nails' advice that a base coat should not be applied and that it helps to buff your nails first. Buffing is not something I do very often, purely through laziness, but it made all the difference with this polish. It was so much easier to apply and the finish is completely smooth, I was amazed at how much of a difference it made! Lots of bloggers don't like this range with top coat but we actually like it both ways. This is two coats (although you really only need one) without top coat.

Barry M - Elderberry

Elderberry* is actually from last year's summer Gelly collection which Emma swatched for you here, but it's perfect for spring 2015 too. Again this polish has the grey undertones which are so prominent at the moment. What I love most about it is that it's a totally wearable blue polish. I often find blue a difficult colour to wear and tend to stick to navy or very pale blues. This is gorgeous soft shade that is so easy to wear and doesn't leave you looking like you raided your 90's nail polish collection. This will be one of my favourites for a while and I'm so glad spring is on it's way so I can bust it out again! This is 2 coats with top coat.

Sally Hansen - Jaded

We have a host of mint polishes, and I imagine most of the brands will be releasing new versions this year, there are two minty greens in the Barry M Speedy Nail Paint collection! However, I chose this one as it's a little different. It doesn't have the white base the most mint polishes have, this makes it quite sheer, but I believe it also gives it a more 'grown up' finish. We all love mint polishes, but they can look a tad garish if you don't get the tone right for you. Again this conforms to the 'dusty' theme with cool undertones. This trend is great for the UK as you never know if it's going to be sunny or miserable, soft pastels with grey undertones work well in all weather! Due to the sheerness of this polish I had to use FOUR thin coats to get the finish I desired, so it's one to avoid if you struggle with patience!

Barry M - Ballerina

Last but most definitely not least is Ballerina*, another from Barry M. Sorry that Barry M are so prominent in this post, they just dominate the pastel-esque polishes in my collection. Ballerina* was actually released as a Autumn/Winter polish (we swatched it here) but I knew it would be hanging around longer than that. There are lots of soft pinks and nudes around this season and I find that this polish falls somewhere in between. Pink is another shade I find hard to wear, with my baby face I usually end up looking about 12 when I wear pink polish. Ballerina* is different as it's got those obligatory grey undertones and it so close to a nude it almost doesn't classify as a pink. If you're looking for something plain to wear but are bored of nude try this instead, I swear by it for work! This is two coats with top coat.

It was so tough to pick just five polishes as this spring seems to be all about pastels which we LOVE! I could have chosen more from the Barry M Speedy Nail Paint collection (we swatched them all here) but decided to choose some of my older polishes which have stood their ground as favourites for multiple seasons. There are more pastel collections due to come out this season too, look out for Models Own Icings in March (we're excited!)

What are your favourite Spring polishes? Do any of my top five feature on your list?